Shaking It Up with Lauren Gottlieb

Text by Wyanet Vaz

“I actually hated dance,” reveals Lauren Gottlieb as she chats about her tryst with dance, inspirations and her growing love for India

We met Lauren Gottlieb on the sets of Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa Reloaded. All kicked about judging this dance reality show, she has even started taking Hindi classes and tries to impress us with phrases in broken Hindi, and we give her props for trying. But when it comes to busting some moves, she’s as smooth as MJ in Thriller. From participating in So You Think You Can Dance, to bagging a lead role in ABCD, Lauren has successfully danced her way to the top.

Your first dance recital... “I actually hated dance. I would cry at every single dance recital and beg my mom to let me quit. On the final day, she literally had to walk me on stage. But when I started performing, I had this glow on my face. I was so excited that I wanted to do it all over again, and I actually started running back on stage in the middle of somebody else’s number. And then I realised that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. My first performance made me fall in love with dance – the stage, the lights, the audience. It was a game changer.”

Your workout includes… “Dance is great way to exercise. I love doing pilates, yoga and running.”

Favourite travel destination… “My home in the US. I like to call it a travel destination now, because I hardly get there, and I feel that India is truly my home. And I don’t like being called a foreigner anymore because main Hindustan ki beti hoon!”